title: Niche of harmful alga Aureococcus anophagefferens revealed through ecogenomics.
abstract: Harmful algal blooms (HABs) cause significant economic and ecological damage worldwide. Despite considerable efforts, a comprehensive understanding of the factors that promote these blooms has been lacking, because the biochemical pathways that facilitate their dominance relative to other phytoplankton within specific environments have not been identified. Here, biogeochemical measurements showed that the harmful alga Aureococcus anophagefferens outcompeted co-occurring phytoplankton in estuaries with elevated levels of dissolved organic matter and turbidity and low levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen. We subsequently sequenced the genome of A. anophagefferens and compared its gene complement with those of six competing phytoplankton species identified through metaproteomics. Using an ecogenomic approach, we specifically focused on gene sets that may facilitate dominance within the environmental conditions present during blooms. A. anophagefferens possesses a larger genome (56 Mbp) and has more genes involved in light harvesting, organic carbon and nitrogen use, and encoding selenium- and metal-requiring enzymes than competing phytoplankton. Genes for the synthesis of microbial deterrents likely permit the proliferation of this species, with reduced mortality losses during blooms. Collectively, these findings suggest that anthropogenic activities resulting in elevated levels of turbidity, organic matter, and metals have opened a niche within coastal ecosystems that ideally suits the unique genetic capacity of A. anophagefferens and thus, has facilitated the proliferation of this and potentially other HABs.
authors.affiliation: School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Southampton, NY 11968, USA. christopher.gobler@stonybrook.edu
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Gobler
authors.forename: Dianna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: Sonya T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Dyhrman
authors.forename: Steven W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Asaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salamov
authors.forename: Alexei V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Lobanov
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jackie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: Louie L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Wurch
authors.forename: Adam B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kustka
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Dill
authors.forename: Manesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Nathan C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: VerBerkmoes
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: Jasmyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pangilinan
authors.forename: Erika A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Lindquist
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Ian T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Paulsen
authors.forename: Theresa K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Hattenrath-Lehmann
authors.forename: Stephanie C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Talmage
authors.forename: Elyse A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Amanda M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Burson
authors.forename: Maria Alejandra
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Marcoval
authors.forename: Ying-Zhong
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Gary R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Lecleir
authors.forename: Kathryn J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Coyne
authors.forename: Gry M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Erin M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: Mak A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Vadim N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Gladyshev
authors.forename: Igor V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Grigoriev
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental / Q000528:radiation effects; D017753:Ecosystem; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D008027:Light; D010802:Phylogeny; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D011506:Proteins